Receta Holy Guacamole: Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado-Yogurt Sauce
Remember how I partnered up with a bunch of awesome bloggers for a St Patrick’s Day round-up of awesomeness?
Well, we had such a great time that we decided to celebrate other holidays in the same fashion, starting with Cinco de Mayo.
As it happens, Cinco de Mayo isn’t celebrated up here in Canada, except maybe as an excuse to hit up the local Tex-Mex place for half-price enchiladas and buckets of Coronitas.
So the first thing I did was to read up on the history of the holiday, and learned that Cinco de Mayo (which means “the fifth of May” in Spanish) commemorates the victory of Mexican forces over the French at the battle of Puebla, and is celebrated in the US to honour Mexican-American culture and heritage.
Now, while I didn’t know much about Cinco de Mayo before now, I do know my way around a Mexican menu… which is why the second thing I did was to call dibs on Spicy Fish Tacos as my dish.
So why fish tacos, you ask? Mostly, it was to have an excuse to make another batch of homemade corn tortillas, because I am totally OBSESSED with making corn tortillas right now. Homemade tortillas are a million times better than the store-bought kind, and really quite easy to make once you get the hang of eyeballing the right texture for the dough and smooshing the little balls of dough into flat discs using a tortilla press.
(Never tried making corn tortillas at home? This tutorial from From Away will teach you all you need to know.)
And since an awesome homemade corn tortilla deserves an equally awesome filling, I topped them off with spicy pan-fried white fish with a chipotle-lime marinade, a squiggle of avocado-yogurt crema, and crisp fresh toppings like shredded cabbage, pickled red onions, cilantro and radishes.
They’re colourful. They’re bright. And they’re way more delicious than the half-price enchiladas at the Tex Mex place… especially when washed down with a bucket of Coronitas.
Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado-Yogurt Sauce
Author: Isabelle Boucher
Recipe type: Main
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Serves: 4
These lightened-up fish tacos trade in battered fish and full-fat sour cream for pan-fried spicy fish filets and a flavourful avocado and yogurt sauce.
Ingredients
- Spicy Lime-Chipotle Fish:
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp chipotle powder (or chili powder, if you prefer)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 lb fresh haddock fillets (or any other firm white fish)
- Avocado-Yogurt Sauce:
- 1 large ripe avocado, pitted and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup water
- Tacos and Garnishes:
- 12 small corn tortillas
- Shredded cabbage
- Pickled red onions
- Cilantro sprigs
- Finely julienned radishes
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Marinate the Fish:
In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil, chipotle powder, cumin, paprika and salt, and stir until smooth.
Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Rub on both sides with the lime-chipotle marinade. Transfer to a plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap, then transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for 15-20 minutes.
Prepare the Avocado-Yogurt Sauce:
While the fish marinates, prepare the avocado-yogurt sauce.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the avocado, yogurt, lime juice, cilantro, salt and water, and process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cook the Fish:
In a large heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium-high heat, saute the fish in the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil until opaque and flaky, about 4-5 minutes per side.
Remove from heat, and transfer to a platter. Using a fork, break up each filet into bite-sized chunks. Cover with foil, and set aside while you warm the tortillas.
Warm the Tortillas and Assemble the Tacos:
In a heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium heat, warm the tortillas one at a time for 20-30 seconds per side, or until soft and flexible. Wrap the finished tortillas with a clean dishcloth to keep warm between batches.
To assemble, place three tortillas on each plate and drizzle with avocado-yogurt sauce. Divide the fish evenly between the tortillas, then serve immediately with bowls of toppings so that everyone can top off their tacos as they please.
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This post is part of the Cinco de Mayo Holiday Food Blog Party organized by Jen of Jen’s Favourite Cookies. For more fabulous Cinco de Mayo goodies, check out the rest of the posts:
1. Alfajores from Roxana’s Home Baking
2. Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado Yogurt Sauce from Crumb Blog
3. Classic Flan from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
4. Dulce de Leche Milkshake with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream from Chocolate Moosey
5. Lime Margarita Bars from Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
6. Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche from Magnolia Days
7. Tropical Fiesta Cocktail from Hungry Couple NYC
8. Paletas – Mexican Popsicles from Pineapple and Coconut
9. Bizcochitos Cookies from Jen’s Favorite Cookies
10. Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes from Gotta Get Baked
11. Vegan Taco Salad from What Smells So Good
12. Gluten Free Tres Leches Cake from Kelly Bakes
13. Queso Blanco from The Messy Baker
14. Gorditas with Picadillo from Juanita’s Cocina
15. Strawberry Margerita Slurpee from Chocolate Chocolate and More
About the author
Isabelle Boucher
I'm a 30-something coffee-chugging, booty-shaking, bargain-shopping, cookbook-collecting, photo-snapping, trucker-swearing, farmers-market-loving self-taught cook with a Boy and two cats to feed.
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